10 Century-Old Life Hacks Are Surprisingly Useful Today

It is a known fact that hacks from the early 20th century are not the first place to turn to for tips to make life easier – all thanks to Google.

The New York Public Library, however, of recent made a digital form of a hundred “How to do it” cards which manufacturers usually place in cigarette boxes.

In the early 1900’s, the cards were placed in the products of cigarette companies. They fast became collectibles that contained anything from advertisements to celebrity photos.

100-Year-Old Life Hacks That Are Surprisingly Useful Today

These images are the tips individuals were getting in their cigarette boxes, together with a small instructional sheet which is quoted below each one.

How to Clean Bottles Hack:

To thoroughly wash the interior of a bottle, put little quantity of sand and water and shake thoroughly. This will produce the effect of cleaning all parts and the bottles can be emptied and allowed to drain.

How to Cut Bread into Thin Slices Hack:

The challenge of cutting new bread into small slices can easily be solved by the following: soak a bread knife in hot water, wipe quickly when hot. You will notice that the heated bread knife will slice through the bread while producing the thinnest slices of bread.

How to make a Fire Extinguisher Hack:

Dissolve half a pound of sal-ammoniac and one pound of salt in two quarts of water and store a quart of the liquor in thin glass bottles. Throw one or more of the bottles into the flames should a fire break out, and any severe inferno will be averted.

How to Prevent Colors from Running Hack:

With this old hacks, you will prevent colors in linen from running and staining other linen when they are washed together, colored materials should first be steeped in a salt water solution. Two handfuls of salt added to a gallon of water is a good measurement, and colored materials should be allowed to steep in this for up to 24 hours.

How to Revive Cut Flowers Hack:

This hack will help you restore your choice flowers that have faded while being transported by soaking the stems in hot water and allowing to remain until the water become cold. The flowers will revive by then. Cut off the ends of the stems and blossom should be soaked in cold water as usual.

How to preserve useful Vases Hack:

The probability of knocking down a useful vase will be reduced if the following precautions are adhered to. Fill the vase partly with sand to add some weight to keep the vase firm and upright on its bottom. This is mainly useful for vases which have heavy tops due to their small base.

How to Treat Sprains Hack:

Lift the injured joint and wrap in clothes squeezed out of cold water. The image shows how to keep them wet without changing them. A strip of linen with one end in the jug and the other placed on the wrappings on the joint and a jug of water placed above the injured limb is all that is required. The water will flow from the jug to compress through the linen strip. As sprain improves, rub with liniment or oil.

How to Extract a Splinter Hack:

It is usually painful to extract a splinter pierced into the hand. An effective hack to solve this is to fill a bottle with wide brim with hot water almost to the top and press the affected part tightly against the brim of the bottle. The suction pressure will pull against the skin and steam will help to pull out the splinter.

How to Boil Cracked Eggs Hack:

To successfully boil cracked eggs as if they were not cracked, add a little vinegar to the water. Do this and you will see that none of the contents will over boil.